Drop the PuckThe Ohio State men’s hockey team (10-11-5, 9-6-3-1 CCHA) closes its four-game homestand with a series vs. No. 9/11 Notre Dame (16-10-0, 12-6-0-0 CCHA) this weekend. The teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Value City Arena.

Pride Night and the You Can Play ProjectThe Friday night game in Value City Arena is the inaugural Division I men’s hockey Pride Night, which allows Ohio State a way to reach out and show support for the LGBT community in Columbus and those that are particularly involved in athletics, either as participants or fans.

As part of Pride Night, the Ohio State men’s hockey program is debuting a video that has been created in conjunction with the You Can Play Project. The organization is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation. You Can Play works to guarantee athletes are given a fair opportunity to compete, judged by other athletes and fans alike, only by what they contribute to the sport or their team’s success. You Can Play seeks to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by focusing only on an athlete’s skills, work ethic and competitive spirit. For more on the You Can Play Project, and to see videos created by other organizations, visit youcanplayproject.org.

Teddy Bear TossThe Saturday night game is the third-annual Teddy Bear Toss in Value City Arena. Fans are encouraged to bring a new stuffed animal (wrapped in a plastic bag) to toss on the ice after the second period (note the change from year’s past, which will allow time for the ice to be cleared without delaying the game). The stuffed animals will be collected and donated to the Ronald McDonald House. More than 500 stuffed animals were collected from the inaugural event and last year more than 800 were donated.

Bring Your SkatesFollowing the game Friday, a skate for fans will be held on the Value City Arena ice. (Note, the Ohio State student-athletes will not be available to take part in the skate.) Fans must bring their own skates.

Get to the Gate EarlyGiveaways are planned for each night vs. Notre Dame. Friday, cowbells will be given to the first 2,000 fans. Saturday, beanies will be handed out to the first 4,000 guests, provided by game sponsor Nationwide.

Follow AlongFor both games against Notre Dame, Ohio State/IMG Radio will carry the action over the air in Columbus on 1460 AM and live online on ESPNColumbus.com, with Herb Howenstine and former Buckeye Luke Pavlas calling the action.

The games will be streamed online by BTDN on Buckeye Vision, available through a paid subscription package. Brad Comer and Matthew McGreevy will call the action Friday, with Matt Kraus joining Comer Saturday.

As always, links for audio, video and Game Tracker live stats are on the Buckeye Hockey Gameday page (go.osu.edu/mhkygameday) and the men’s hockey schedule page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. In-game updates are also on Twitter: @OhioState_MHKY.

Tickets! Get your Tickets!Single-game tickets for the 2012-13 Ohio State men’s hockey home schedule can be purchased at the arena on game night. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com, in person at any Ticketmaster outlet or at the Ohio State University ticket office in the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Fans interested in a four or eight game mini plan package or group tickets should contact the athletic ticket sales staff for details. Account executives can be reached by phone (614-292-0043) or email (athleticsales@osu.edu).

Again this year, all Ohio State students receive free admission to regular-season home games with a valid BuckID.

Wear Your Youth Hockey Jersey, Receive Free AdmissionThroughout the season, all hockey players eighth grade and under who wear their jerseys to hockey games at Value City Arena receive free admission (with a ticket-purchasing parent).

Buckeye BriefThe Buckeyes are 10-11-5 overall and 9-6-3-1 in CCHA play. The team is scoring 2.15 goals a game and allowing 2.12 goals per game to rank seventh in the nation in team defense. The team is 11-for-107 (.103) on the power play and 83-for-96 (.865) on the penalty kill.

Sophomore Ryan Dzingel is first with 23 points and 10 goals. Classmate Tanner Fritz leads the team with 15 assists and is second with 20 points. Max McCormick is second with eight goals and third with 15 points. Dzingel and Fritz each have 18 points in CCHA play to tie for third among all league scorers. Senior goalie Brady Hjelle has played in 20 games, starting 19, and has a 1.60 goals-against average and .946 save percentage to rank third and second in the NCAA, respectively. Freshman Collin Olsonhas played seven games and has a 3.08 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.

FlashbackOhio State is coming off its third sweep of the season, downing Lake Superior State 3-2 and 6-1 last weekend in Value City Arena.

Game one: With points from nine players, Ohio State posted a 3-2 win over the Lakers. Ohio State led 2-0 after the first period on goals by Riley Simpson and Curtis Gedig and extended the lead to three on a goal from Tanner Fritz early in the second. The Lakers got on the scoreboard in the first minute of the third, and then drew within one midway through the period, but Ohio State held Lake Superior State off the scoreboard the rest of the way for the win in its first home game since Dec. 15.

Game two: Ohio State completed a series sweep of Lake Superior State Saturday in Value City Arena, knocking off the Lakers, 6-1, with points from 12 players and 30 saves from senior goalie Brady Hjelle. Ohio State jumped out to a four-goal lead six minutes into the game and led 5-0 before the Lakers got on the board late in the first period. Neither team scored in the second period and Ohio State closed the scoring with an empty-net goal in the third. Junior Alex Szczechura had two goals to lead Ohio State, sophomore Tanner Fritz had two assists and sophomore Ryan Dzingel and freshman Anthony Greco each had a goal and an assist for two points. The six goals were a season best for the squad and the first five-goal period since Jan. 8, 2011 vs. Miami.

Buckeyes vs. IrishThe Buckeyes lead the series with Notre Dame, 33-31-9, including 17-15-5 in Columbus. The teams met twice in South Bend last season, splitting a regular-season series Oct. 14-15, 2011 (ND 5-2, OSU 4-3) before the Irish swept the Buckeyes in the playoffs (2-0, 4-2). The last series in Columbus was Jan. 21-22, 2011, when Ohio State won the opener 6-1 before a 4-1 Irish victory in game two.

Irish ItemsNotre Dame is 16-10 this year and has a 12-6 ledger in conference play. The team ended a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 at home over Ferris State last Saturday. The team averages 2.85 goals a game and is sixth in the NCAA in defense, allowing 2.04 goals a game. The power play is 18-for-115 (15.7 percent) and the penalty kill ranks ninth nationally (94-for-107, .879).

Anders Lee has a team-best 14 goals and 23 points, while T.J. Tynan and Sam Calabrese share the squad lead with 13 assists each. Tynan is tied with Mario Lucia for second with eight goals each. Bryan Rust and Robbie Russo each have 12 assists, followed by Stephen Johns with 11. In goal Steven Summerhays is 14-9-0, with a 1.81 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.

Wearing the CFor the sixth-consecutive weekend of game action, juniors Curtis Gedig and Travis Statchuk and sophomore Ryan Dzingel will serve as captains for the the Buckeyes. Ohio State has rotated captains for much of the season, switching the trio about every two series though the first half of the year. For the first two series at Minnesota Duluth and Quinnipiac, seniors Alex Carlson and Brandon Martell were joined by sophomore Matt Johnson wearing the ‘C’, while juniors Alex Lippincott and Statchuk and sophomore Max McCormick donned the letter vs. Bowling Green and Alaska. Senior Devon Krogh, junior Chris Crane and Dzingel served as captains vs. Northern Michigan and at Lake Superior State and juniors Gedig and Alex Szczechura and sophomore Tanner Fritz served as captains at Michigan State and retained the ‘C’s for the series with Robert Morris. For the series vs. Miami Dec. 14-15 and the Three Rivers Classic Dec. 28-29, Gedig, Statchuk and Dzingel reprised their roles as captains, the first second-time selections of the season. Gedig, Statchuk and Dzingel were joined by Johnson as captains for the series at Ferris State Jan. 11-12.

Buckeyes on the Hobey Fan BallotFan voting for the 2013 Hobey Baker Award opened earlier this month, with Buckeye senior goalie Brady Hjelle and sophomore forward Ryan Dzingel on the ballot. Fans can vote daily through March 10 (http://go.osu.edu/osuvote4hobey). The fans’ vote accounts for a full one percent of the total ballot in each phase in selecting the 2013 award recipient.

Hjelle, who has started 20 games for the Buckeyes and played in 19, is third in the NCAA with a 1.60 goals-against average and is second nationally with a .946 save percentage. He has allowed one goal or less in 13 games this year. Dzingel is first for the Buckeyes with 10 goals and 23 points. Three of his goals have been game-winners (including in both 1-0 Ohio State wins this year), tying him for 13th in the NCAA and first in the CCHA.

Buckeye This and That • Fourteen Buckeyes had at least one point in the series with Lake Superior State, with nine different point scorers Friday and 12 Saturday. Alex Szczechura and Riley Simpson each scored two goals in the series and Szczechura, Ryan Dzingel, Tanner Fritz and Anthony Greco each had three points in the two games combined. • The nine goals scored by the Buckeyes in the series sweep of Lake Superior State was a season high and most in back-to-back games this year. The Buckeyes’ six goals Saturday were a season high and the most since topping Michigan, 6-5, Nov. 19, 2011. • Ohio State scored five times in the first period vs. the Lakers Saturday. The last time the team scored five goals in a period was Jan. 8, 2011, in a 5-2 win vs. Miami Jan. 8, 2011. Those goals all came in the third period. The Buckeyes last scored five goals in the first period in a 6-2 win at Alaska Jan. 31, 2009. • Ohio State has not allowed a power play goal in its last six games and is 17-for-17 in the stretch. The squad has held its opponents scoreless on the man advantage in 11 of the last 15 games (.909). For the year, the team is 83-for-96, ranking 10th (86.5) in the NCAA. • The Buckeyes are 3-for-12 (.250) on the power play in the last three games combined, with power play goals in back to back games vs Northern Michigan Jan. 19 and the Lakers Jan. 25. The two power play tallies vs. the Wildcats broke an eight-game scoreless streak with the man advantage. • The Buckeyes are seventh nationally in team defense, allowing 2.16 goals a game. The team has held opponents to one goal or less in 11 games this year. • After opening the second half of the year with six-consecutive games away from Columbus, eight of the Buckeyes’ final 12 regular-season games will be at home. • In scoring among sophomores nationally, Ohio State’s class ranks fifth, averaging 2.88 points a game, combining for 75 points. Sophomores are the Top 3 point scorers on the squad this year. • Every Buckeye skater has at least one point this year. Sixteen Buckeyes have at least one goal and all 23 skaters have at least one assist.

Between the Pipes • Goalie Brady Hjelle, who has played in 20 games and started 19, is third in the NCAA and second in the CCHA with a 1.60 goals-against average. He is second in the NCAA and the league) with a .945 save percentage. The senior has started 14 of the last 15 games and played in 15 of the last 16. He has allowed more than one goal just seven times this year. • Hjelle was named CCHA Goalie of the Week Monday after making 64 saves on 67 shots in the Buckeyes’ sweep of Lake Superior State. He is now a four-time league player of the week selection. • Hjelle’s three shutouts are tied for fourth in the NCAA and first in the CCHA. • In CCHA play, Hjelle has a league-best 1.28 goals-against average, .956 save percentage and three shutouts. It is the best in-conference goals-against and save percentage mark among players across all leagues in the NCAA. • Hjelle has nine games with 30 or more saves, including a career-high 38 in a 3-1 win at Ferris State Jan. 11 and then-career-high tying 37 vs. Robert Morris Dec. 8. • Hjelle has been the first or second star in 10 of 14 league starts, with a league-best seven first star honors and 44 Perani Cup points. • Hjelle was the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for November. In November, he had a league-best .62 goals-against average and .978 save percentage, playing in five games (with four starts) and did not allow more than one goal in any appearance. He allowed three total goals, with two of the three on the power play. • Freshman Collin Olson is the first Buckeye true freshman to see game time between the pipes for Ohio State since Cal Heeter in 2008-09. He started vs. Penn State Dec. 29, his first game action since Nov. 24 at Lake Superior State.

Up Front • Sophomore Tanner Fritz is on a six-game point streak, with two goals, five assists and seven points in the stretch. He is first on the team with 15 assists and second with 20 points, both career highs. He had three points vs. Lake Superior State, with a goal in the opener and two assists Saturday. It was his fourth two-assist game of the year. • Sophomore Ryan Dzingel has points in his last four games (1g, 5a, 6p). Dzingel has a team-best 23 points, along with a team-high 10 goals. Last weekend, Dzingel had an assist in the opener and then a goal and assist in game two, his sixth multiple-point game of the year. • Junior Alex Szczechura’s two goals vs. Lake Superior State Saturday matched his career best, first set Nov. 12, 2012 at Michigan State. It was his sixth career two-point game and first of the year. • Junior Alex Lippincott tallied his first goal of the season - and the first shorthanded goal of his career - Saturday vs. the Lakers. • Dzingel and Fritz are tied for third in the CCHA in conference scoring with 18 points each. Fritz is tied for first with 14 assists, while Dzingel is tied for fourth with 12 helpers. Dzingel and classmate Max McCormick are tied for 15th with six goals each in league play. • McCormick is second on the team with eight goals and third with 14 points. He has a point in five of his last six games, with an assist in each game vs. Lake Superior State. • Redshirt freshman Riley Simpson’s goal Friday vs. Lake Superior State was his first since Nov. 17 vs. Northern Michigan and the second of his career. He added his third career goal Saturday. • In all games, Dzingel is tied for third among CCHA players in scoring, while Fritz is tied for ninth. Dzingel is tied for seventh in goals and Fritz ranks fourth in helpers, with Dzingel tied for seventh. • Freshman Anthony Greco has a point in three of four games (2g, 2a, 4p) since returning from injury. The game Saturday, with a goal and an assist, was his second two-point outing.

On the Blueline • Junior defenseman Curtis Gedig is on a three-game point streak, with two power play goals and an assist. He has seven points this year, with five helpers, to share the team lead in scoring among defensemen. • Freshman Craig Dalrymple had an assist Friday vs. the Lakers and is tied for the lead among Buckeye defensemen in scoring with seven points, including six assists. • Freshman defenseman Sam Jardine has an assist in four of his six games since returning from injury, with an assist Saturday vs. the Lakers. • As a team, Ohio State has 366 recorded blocked shots, while its opponents have blocked 318 of its attempts. Justin DaSilva is first with 44 blocked shots, followed by Gedig with 41, Al McLean with 38, Brandon Martell with 35 and Dalrymple with 24. Every Buckeye skater has at least one blocked shot this year. (Individual blocks were not recorded in the series at Minnesota Duluth).